The Pledge
by Ardent Aspen
Summary: (Just an unusual, solemn little plot bunny that hopped into my head this morning.) "Jackson, I have lost my planet, I am about to lose my home, do not make me lose one of my family as well." "It's because we are family that I won't let you die alone!" (Alternate end of Transformers Prime: Season 2)
1. Chapter 1

**I'm not sure what to make of this, if anything. It popped into my head earlier and I just wrote it down really quick before I forgot it. That's just sort of how my brain works. It will throw together scenes in no particular order and then erase them if I take too long to write them out.**

**So I don't know if this will ever be part of a story or not, but I thought it sounded kind of cool, so here it is.**

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"Arcee," Jack said gravely, "Get my mother to safety." The femme began to protest, but one look at Jack's eyes stopped her. "Partner, are you sure about this?" she whispered, torn. The boy smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "Go now. Please, Arcee," he pleaded. Arcee nodded, and transformed. June crushed her son to her in a fierce embrace. "I am so proud of you!" she wept. Jack blinked back tears. "I love you, Mom," he whispered as June climbed onto the motorcycle.

As they disappeared into the groundbridge, Optimus frowned down at the young human. "Jackson, you must leave, immediately," he ordered. The boy shook his head. "I cannot." "If you stay, the Decepticons will kill you!" the Prime warned. Jack smiled grimly. "That's a sacrifice I am willing to make," he said. "But it is not a sacrifice _I_ am willing to make!" Optimus's stern tone forced Jack to meet his gaze. "Jackson, I have lost my planet, I am going to lose my home, do not make me lose one of my family as well."

"It is _because_ we are a family that I won't leave you to die alone!" the human argued back. Optimus was about to order the boy to run in no uncertain terms when he felt the Matrix begin to react. It shook within his frame in a very tangible pull towards the defiant figure standing opposite him. The boy took a deep breath. "Please, sir. I may never get another chance to do this." "To do what?" the perturbed Prime asked. As he watched in astonishment, Jack knelt before him.

In a tradition older than even the existence of the factions, one young human recited an ancient vow. "_Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your Maker, my Maker. Where you die, I will die, and there shall I be buried_." Optimus dared not interrupt the boy, so ancient and solemn were his words. Jackson continued, "_I pledge my spark, my sword and my service to you alone, Optimus Prime, and here do I swear fealty before you_."

The mighty Prime stood lost for words. "Jackson, you cannot-" he began. The boy's eyes hardened. "Would you deny me this?" he asked softly. Optimus heaved a sigh laden with sorrow and drew the Star Saber. With the utmost care, he touched the tip of the blade to Jackson's forehead. "_So be it_, Jackson, son of June," he intoned, "_Be thou known by a new name, as befits thy station. Rise, Rodimus, servant of the Primes_."

He took the boy in one massive hand and clutched him to his spark as the earth trembled. "Oh, my son," he whispered, "What have you brought upon yourself?" And then the great lasers of the enemy vessel poured out their wrath upon Outpost Omega, and all the world was fire and metal and ash.

When Smokescreen returned to the wreckage, he found a badly wounded Optimus curled protectively around the unconscious figure of Jack Darby. The boy, in turn, had positioned himself to guard the Prime's spark chamber from further damage. One of his hands had fallen against the Star Saber, lying forgotten on the ground.

It was glowing.


	2. Epilogue

**I know, I said I wasn't going to continue this. What can I say? Multiple people asked for more, and I hate to disappoint you all! Here's the thing, though: this is an epilogue to a string of adventures. I want to hear ****_your_**** ideas as to what happened in between! I know this site, I've seen the stuff you guys have written. Your imaginations are more than up to the challenge of completing what little I can offer you!**

**Well, here it is: the epilogue.**

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_"Above all, do not lament my absence, for in my spark, I know that this is not the end, but merely a new beginning. Simply put, another transformation."_

The assembled Autobots, Humans, and Predacons watched in combined sorrow and awe as a fountain of Sparks burst forth from the Well. Each little life hummed and twirled with the joy and innocence only a child knows as they were ushered into the world. One brilliant red orb drifted away from the others to hover before the crowd for a moment. Then, with a cheerful buzz, it sped away to join its brethren. Ratchet roughly swiped at his optics. "Someone find us a Space Bridge," he choked, "We have a home to protect...and I must inform Fowler, June, and Rafael of what has happened. He turned to beckon the other humans to follow him and stopped in surprise.

Miko stood watching the new lives with an expression of childlike wonder on her face. Both her arms were outstretched as if she could catch one of the baby Cybertronians like a firefly and press it to her heart. Jack, or rather, Rodimus, stared up at the Sparks with interest, rather than grief. As soon as the red Spark appeared before them, he seemed to hear an unspoken order. Rodimus sheathed his glowing blade and slung his shield onto his back. He gently kissed Miko's forehead and promised a future meeting, then began to walk in the direction the red Spark had flown. "Jack? Where are you going?!" Ratchet cried out. The young man turned his head slightly and smiled. "I follow Optimus."

That was the last time anyone saw either of them for many years.


	3. Alternate Ending

**So, I wasn't really satisfied with the way this fit into the last chapter, so I removed it and made it an alternate ending instead. This is more of a little crossover with Transformers Animated**

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(Alternate Ending to "The Pledge". This may or may not have happened, depending on if I'm satisfied with it or not).

A small band of Autobots stood in quiet reverence before the Well of Allsparks as their young leader paid his last respects to a beloved mentor. The smallest Autobot of all leaned against his foot sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Boss," Sari whispered, "Did you know him for a long time?" Optimus smiled softly at her. "You could say that." "Geez, how old _was_ this guy?" Bumblebee muttered behind them. The ringing clang and shrill shriek of pain that followed needed no translation. Ratchet scowled at the yellow mech. "Show some respect! Rodimus the Warrior was a hero!"

Sari levitated to hover near Optimus's helm. "Prowl told me stories about the Servant of the Primes when I was little, you know," she said. Her optics were wide. "Was he _really_ 90 feet tall with a faceplate that could freeze magma?" Optimus looked confused. "Wha-? No! Where did you hear-" He was interrupted by a chorus of other questions about the folk hero from the other young Autobots.

"Did he really eat carbon?" "Well, as far as I know, he did," the Prime answered.

"I heard he took down Trypticon, single-servo'd!" "Uh, no, Bulkhead. That didn't happen."

"_I_ heard he fell in love with an alien warrior princess when he was a youngling!" Bumblebee said importantly. Optimus snickered slightly. "Well, that's _one_ way of putting it."

Jazz spoke up with the most outlandish sounding tale of all: "I hear that he fought his way through a nest of Scraplets with a sword in one hand and a Sparkling in the other!" His proclamation was met with scoffs and snorts of derision until they saw Optimus nod. "Yeah, _that_ one actually happened." He shuddered. "That was a _horrible_ day..." The Autobots gathered around their friend as he began to tell them stories of their folk hero that had never been heard before. As he spoke, the Well began to hum, and with a sound like singing, a golden ball of light was launched into the air. Sari noticed it first and flew up to greet it.

"Hi there, Little Guy...or Girl. Could be a Girl," she cooed, waving her servos at it. It made a noise similar to a baby's gurgle and moved to bounce up and down in front of Optimus's faceplate. He smiled and reached out to grasp it, only for it to dance out of his reach with a playful squeal. "Oh, alright!" Optimus laughed. He shouldered the Magnus hammer and shook his helm in mock seriousness. "Let's go home, Old Friend." The Spark flitted out across the Hydrax Plateau, followed by the Prime. Ancient Ratchet felt his processor begin to ache with a feeling of deja vu. "Prime! Where are you going?!" he asked, feeling sure he already knew the answer. Optimus raised the hammer in a salute and called back, "I follow Rodimus!"

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**I know most of you probably have already read this when it was in the old chapter, but I wanted the first two chapters to retain their gravity, and this one can be a little more lighthearted. **

**So, what happened in between chapter one and two? ****_You_**** tell ****_me_****! If you have an idea, send it to me in a private message (in narrative style, pretty please with an adorable baby Starscream on top?). I think it'd be fun to post a list of "what-if's" from you guys!**


End file.
